Germany calling...

My husband and I have set a trend recently of visiting Germany with my parents during even-numbered years.  In 2002 we visited the German towns of Ruedesheim, Koeln, Berlin, Muenchen and Frankfurt.  In 2004 we went all over the map visiting the German towns of Freiburg, Wuerzburg and Rothenburg, the French town of Strasbourg, and the Swiss towns of Basel, Bern, Interlaken and Luzern.  We travel by train only (nothing beats 1st class on an ICE train) and stay in wonderful, small, non-chain hotels.  We walk everywhere, eat like pigs (or eat a lot of pigs, really) and just generally enjoy the Gemuetlichkeit.

So here we are in 2006...and we have no plans for a trip to Germany.  But I need to go.  Germany's calling me.  They're my people.  I fit in there.  Everything makes sense, runs on time and works logically.  I need to watch the world fly by at 215Km/h on the ICE train while I eat soup and bread along with my cold, crisp, fizzy Apfelschoerle in the dining car.  I need to go to Pfaffen and order the giant variety plate of meat, which I'll eat out on their back patio under that huge tree while sipping Koelsch from those tiny glasses they keep track of with tick marks on your coaster.  I need to stroll down the Ku'damm and hop into the KaDeWe to check out the latest in German bed linens.

I just need to go.